


Rapture

by adhdsoras



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mutual Pining, Post-Volume 7 (RWBY), Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25253299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adhdsoras/pseuds/adhdsoras
Summary: Spawned from the desire for more Emerald & Mercury content, along with the new information being provided that volume 8 takes place over two days (because that's fucking wack……. I will die). This is pure indulgence & projection of what I would like to see when it comes to a possible plotline for the villain kids in v8. Fic starts around the same time as the Cinder vs Penny & Winter fight. The perspective will shift between Em & Merc to Blake & Yang every few chapters, but the main focus of the story is on Em & Merc.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc & Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren & Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Mercury Black/Emerald Sustrai, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Astray

**Author's Note:**

> “We rubber-band, cohere like day & night  
> Soundless calls through liquid walls  
> You can touch me, feel me, see my rage, but we drown each other out”  
> \- Think Again; OK Goodnight

The blinding white of the Atlas tundra spread for miles as the sun peaked over the horizon. The sky was painted with dark clouds and the oranges and pinks of the rising sky. The wind blew harshly, causing Emerald to tug desperately at her hood to keep it placed neatly on her head. She shivered in the harsh winter conditions, used to the temperate climates of Mystral and Vale. Groaning in annoyance, she stepped off the ship that they had used to fly to the edge of the Atlas military's radar. Her feet sank into the snow, causing a small gasp to come out of her mouth as the snow reached just above her mid-calf. She lifted her boot, kicking out the bits that had slipped down her leg. 

Emerald was displeased with the situation, especially considering the use of transport. Salem was going to ride in on a whale, but no, of course, she would have to make a majority of her mission by foot through the cold. 

She looked over at Mercury expectantly, waiting for the quip, to see a sly smirk. She was met with no tease much to her surprise, rather, watching him expressing a similar disdain. He winced as his feet touched the snow, the metal of his legs adapting poorly to the coldness of the new environment, despite the fur-lined boots and the dust infused pants. Instinctively, he took a few steps forward, planting himself down only briefly before shifting in the spot where he was standing, continuously trying to move his legs. He buried his face in his scarf as he huffed, his breath lingering and visible in the air. 

The ship lifted off in a whirlwind of snow and ice, heading in the opposite direction, giving no notice to its send-off or a clear distinction of where it was truly headed. Emerald shielded her eyes, shutting them tightly as the wind became harsher for a moment, opening them to see that the ship was gone, and she and Mercury were stranded in an abyss of winter. They were alone, truly, with no watchful eye breathing down their neck. 

She returned her focus to Mercury only to find that he had already waddled a good few feet through the plains, causing her to stumble through the snow to catch up to him. Emerald shoved him playfully with her elbow once she met his pace, pushing him gently enough to grab his attention. He offered her a small glance, the cold painting his nose and cheeks pink. The orange of the twilight sky made his presence feel lighter, gentler somehow, against the blinding white of the Atlas terrain. He rolled his eyes as they kept moving, pushing forward slowly, snow crunching and compacting beneath their feet as Atlas slowly came into view.

"How're the legs?" Emerald questioned, clinging to the sleeve of his jacket for a moment to stabilize herself after stepping down on a bit of ice. She let out a small huff, watching her breath get swept away in the wind, squeezing his arm a bit tighter. 

Mercury took in a deep breath, trying to guide Emerald as best he could as they continued to traverse the icy plains, “Well I lost them two years ago, but I think I’ve managed to make it work for me,”

Emerald rolled her eyes, dropping her hands from his arm, feeling heat rise to her cheeks, “I meant how are your legs adapting to the extreme change in climate now that we're knee-deep in snow, asshole.” 

There was a small chuckle, causing her to throw a glance in Mercury’s direction, meeting his eyes for a moment. 

“My legs will be fine. It stings a bit, yeah, but we’ll be okay once we get up to Atlas,” He shrugged, pulling the scarf up to his nose once more, “What’s your plan, anyway?”

“What do you mean? We find Cinder, we bring her back to Salem, we reconvene with the others to get the relic of creation, boom, we're out of this freezing hellscape.” Emerald shrugged, wincing as the wind picked up, blowing snowflakes in her face, leaving a tingle sensation as it melted against her skin. 

Mercury blocked his face with his left hand, grabbing Emerald’s coat and dragging her forward as they progressed, “That can’t just be it. What if Cinder won’t come back? What if _you_ don’t _want_ to come back? You don’t even want to be in that shitty castle anyways, so why go along with any of it?”

Emerald stopped in place as the wind subsided for a moment, catching Mercury off guard, almost causing him to slip on one of the icy patches of dirt. She instinctively grabbed onto his right arm with both hands, digging her heels into the ground where she was standing, trying to hold him up before he could fall.

There was tension hanging in the air as they stared straight into each other's eyes, an unresolved set of emotions rose in Emerald’s chest. They never got the chance to fully move past their previous argument. She could see the frustration building in his gray eyes, and yet saw a lingering sensation of concern, of sincerity. 

“I don’t have another plan,” She spoke bitterly, her grip on his arm loosening, “I owe Cinder everything… Whatever Cinder chooses, that’s what I’ll do,” Emerald’s hands dropped from his arm, hanging freely in the airtight space between them. There were mere inches of separation between them, being pulled together by the desperate sense of protection. They were clinging to each other without a physical tether, connected by their words, their gaze. If they lingered for another second, took another small movement, they would have been pressed up directly against one another. Emerald moved her hand and their knuckles grazed, sending a budding warmth at the point of contact that traveled up her forearm, causing her mind to stop and her heart to pause for a brief moment. 

Mercury looked down to where they’re hands were placed briefly, taking in a deep breath, before quickly exhaling and turning back towards the Atlasan skyline. His attitude shifted, turning cold as he spoke, “We should keep moving,”

Emerald clenched her fist, taking broad steps to keep up with him. She shook her head, pent up frustration festering in her chest. The unresolved nature of their fight nagged at the back of her mind, only fueling the frustration of the change of his nature. It was an opportunity to say something, to do something more than just comment. Emerald groaned, flinging her hand dramatically in the air, “God, do you seriously have to be such an asshole right now?”

Mercury pivoted towards her, their faces meeting only inches away from one another. His breath was warm against her face as he spoke, “You need to get your head out of your ass,” 

Emerald rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I have any other option in this situation! Cinder’s made it this far without Salem if she deflects it's not like I can’t defend myself!”

“All Cinder’s ever wanted is power! You won’t be _running_ from Salem, you’ll be one step behind her at every turn! You’re just too blind to see that because you’re convinced that she gives a shit about you!”

Emerald shoved Mercury with a sneer, pushing past to continue their journey through the snow, “I thought we were done with this bullshit!”

“It’s not bullshit! The way that you’re acting is bullshit! You’re being fucking naive as shit. Cinder doesn’t want you! She doesn’t love you, she has no ounce of concern for your wellbeing! All people ever do is use you for their benefit, for their selfish reasons. It doesn't matter if it's a just and noble cause! They use and use until you have nothing to give and they throw you away like your piece of fucking trash! That's what Cinder thinks of you, Emerald!" Mercury called after her, his voice breaking as he screamed against the howling wind. 

“You don't get it, do you?!” Emerald cried out, turning around to face him. She was visibly shaking from a mixture of cold and frustration that was boiling over. Emerald was still under Cinder's spell, trapped under the disillusion and the pretenses that she genuinely cared. Even in the moments that were faked and forced, Cinder had offered her more kindness, more warmth, than most of the people who had taken her in. She couldn't just ignore it, she was indebted to her. Emerald ran a hand through her hair, taking in a deep breath, “The way Cinder treats me or thinks of me doesn't matter…. that doesn't mean shit because she's the only real option I have!"

Emerald's voice cracked, causing her to take a deep breath, "If I turn myself in to the authorities, the least I'll get is life in prison! For being a _fucking_ terrorist! Hell, Ironwood would probably just drain me of information and then throw me in the electric chair like it was nothing! I can't run on my own, I've tried that all my life and look where it got me… there's nothing! Absolutely nothing else! Except for Cinder, and even then… even then it's just bullshit! I still care about her, so what does it matter?"

Mercury stood silently, watching her continue to struggle against the harrowing breeze, stumbling as the snow dwindled and became icier. He bit his tongue, swearing under his breath. He put himself in the foot holes that Emerald had made, following the set path. 

The closer they got to Atlas, the darker the sky became, the sun slowly rising above the horizon, and the dark clouds becoming more dominant. There was a lingering smell of smoke that became more prominent as they advanced. Mercury looked up to the floating city, watching as flashes of bright light filled the sky, clashes of orange and green, smoke billowing in black clouds from the side of a skyscraper. 

"Emerald!" He called out, moving faster across the snow, his feet landing harsher against the ground. His outcry caught her attention immediately, turning around quickly, not an ounce of hesitation, with fear and concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Her voice wavered slightly, taking a few steps closer to Mercury, meeting him halfway. She grabbed his shoulders, searching his eyes, the anger that she had felt mere moments ago melting away, "what is it? Are your legs okay? God, I told Watts he should have given your legs an upgrade before we left, that stupid bitch!"

Mercury chuckled at the comment she uttered under her breath. He tilted her head up towards the sky, causing her to turn red, "Think we know what's Cinder's up too."

"She's going after the fucking maiden… Shit!" Emerald grabbed onto the material of Mercury's jacket, a gust of wind pushing them together. She pushed off as the wind subsided, cradling herself in her arms. 

Mercury sighed, nodding back up the path that Emerald had created, "A storm could pick up soon, plus we know where Cinder is, so the faster we move, the easier it'll be to get to her. Let's go,"

Emerald nodded, waddling beside him, bumping into him precariously as the wind picked up and snow was swept off ground and into their eyes. She groaned into annoyance, wiping a hand over her face as flakes stuck to her eyebrows. 

"I fucking hate Atlas. I hope Vacuo's nicer,"

"Think you're gonna make it to Vacuo, huh? That's some high expectations," Mercury smirked, dramatically wincing slightly as a light punch grazed his shoulder. 

They walked in silence for a few minutes, bumping into each other every so often. Emerald chewed her lip, bracing herself against another round of wind. She watched Mercury, who was a few steps ahead, as they moved, guilt building in her chest.

She cleared her throat, closing the gap of the few steps, "I'm sorry about everything… it's just shitty, the whole situation and all… I just took out a bit of my anger on you…"

Mercury shrugged in response, "It's chill. We'll figure it out, yeah?"

Emerald smiled, burrowing her eyebrows slightly, leaning over in front of him, "What's with all this 'we' stuff, huh? 'Mr. I'm right where I belong?'"

"Shut up."

"Ha, you _so_ want me,"

"That was my line first you know," Mercury spoke cooly, adjusting the scarf on his face to cover the rising pinkish hue that was spreading from his nose to his cheeks. 

There was a beat of silence, the wind picking up and snow starting to fall from the sky. Emerald rubbed her hands together, breathing against them harshly, her breath materializing through the gaps of her fingers. 

"You were right, I should have worn gloves," She blew into her hands again, rubbing them furiously. 

"We could always hold hands," Mercury teased, expecting another slug in the arm. He caught her crimson eyes, watching as they slowly shifted to his hand before meeting his gaze. Emerald swallowed, quickly grabbing his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. 

"You're a jerk," She felt a wave of nausea come over her, causing her to swallow harshly. Emerald avoided his gaze, trying to ignore the warmth enveloping her hand and the increase of her heart rate.

They stayed like that for the rest of their journey and it was the only thing that either of them could think about. It was the most affection either of them had ever received. Their hands fit each other, cleanly, naturally. It was terrifying how gently their hands molded against one another.

The thought crossed Emerald's mind, that he was going to leave her, just like everyone else. That was human nature; to abandon, to find something worth fighting for and feeling a swell of a new sense of movement rise in your chest, the nagging sensation for change, the desperate longing for a new infatuation to move on to. Mercury would leave her, he would let go of her hand and let her travel with Cinder wherever she went, and the thought terrified her. 

Emerald squeezed Mercury's hand, bringing his attention up from the ground, "We're at the randevú point. Now we just have to wait for our ride and we should be up in Atlas in no time."

Mercury nodded, "Right," he mumbled through his scarf, squinting up to the city above them, looking back down to Mantle, looking over the skyline. He still held her hand, his other hand tucked into the pocket of his coat. Emerald followed his gaze, pressing further against his arm subconsciously. He didn't push her away, accepting the fact that her chin grazed the top of his shoulder as she turned her head. 

The city of Mantle was a complete mess, the only light coming from the distant fires, the air filled with smoke and ash. Grimm crawled the streets, the distant echo of screams filling the air like white noise, getting washed away by the wind. 

"You have more options, you know," Mercury muttered, knocking snow off the top of his boot, staring intently at the ground as he did so, "you have more options than Cinder."

"Yeah, like what?" She spoke gently, earnestly, tilting her head in a way that her chin hovered slightly above his shoulder.

"I don't know," Anxiety rose in his chest as he spoke, turning back to meet her gaze, his eyes flickering from her eyes to her lips before squeezing her hand, "but we'll come up with something. She doesn't deserve you, and you don't deserve the shit that she gives you…"

"You won't leave me, right?"

"Nah, annoying you is too much fun."

"Way to ruin the moment, dipshit."

Mercury laughed, "See, ya just proved my point."

They were so close that the air around them felt warmer. She swallowed a little, watching as Mercury pulled his scarf down from his nose, his eyes searching hers intently. Emerald's heart stopped, slowly turning her chin, feeling a wave of butterflies rush over her, looking back over the city of Mantle to see that the situation had only become more severe, the number of fires increasing.

She felt sick, remembering the same sensation from Beacon, only this time tenfold because this was only the beginning of the destruction. Emerald shifted a little, creating more of a gap between her and Mercury. He let go of her hand and she gave no protest, didn't offer him a glance, or any indication that she had noticed.

Falling from the sky was a figure, and Emerald couldn't help but watch with every ounce of her attention. It was small but close enough to tell that it was a person, to see a distinct amount of color.

"Mercury… is the kid that Ozpin possessed falling from the sky or am I just crazy?"

"Nah, you're right.”

They witness the last few seconds of his free fall, watching as he landed safely below them on top of the mining facility at the bottom of the cliff. Emerald stared intently, watching the blip of his form move in the distance. She examined the cliffside, debating what to do next, before looking back to Mercury, who was unbothered by the situation that took place.

"Let's go," Emerald walked further over to the cliff's edge where it was more unstable, the cracking of ice echoing through the canyon below, particles of snow crumbling as she stepped. 

"Emerald, what the fuck are you doing?" Mercury reached out to grab her arm, pulling her back from the edge of the cliff, "Don't be fucking stupid, you can't just climb down a cliff after a dumb kid!"

"You said there was another way out… and all I see is a defenseless kid with a thousand years old man trapped inside him who just fell out of a floating city, completely separated from his team. I'd consider that a way out."

Mercury sighed, watching as she took out her weapon and walk to the cliff's edge once again. He sighed, clearly resigned, desperately trying to move lightly across the glacier, "I had a feeling this whole randevú thing wasn't gonna work out."


	2. Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be focusing on team RWBY & ALPN and how they're handling the ambush of Grimm.

The descent down the glacier was treacherous. The ice of the cliffside was slick and brittle, crumbling easily at the slightest amount of pressure. The haphazardous nature didn't benefit the pair as they tried to track Oscar, working down to the industrial dust factory below. 

Emerald's journey was simple. Using one of her sicles to dig into the ice, finding different spots for footing and stability was easy, albeit dangerous. She tried to work quickly, throwing caution to the wind as she stumbled over to ledges, curving and slicing part of the glacier as she carved out pathways. She had given her other weapon to Mercury, though with little time to become accustomed to it made it much more difficult to navigate down the glacier, making his descent increasingly clumsy with his attempts to keep pace with Emerald. 

Despite the lack of caution, there were few mishaps during their descent. The causal slip of a foot, the lack of stabilization while being dragged down by the blade stuck in the side of the glacier being some of the more minor errors. There were two incidents that required them to catch each other, both on Mercury's accord of missing a step and forgetting to account for the weight of his legs into his trajectory. Each time gave Emerald a mini heart attack, exhausting in their own right. 

Landing on a small ledge, they were almost halfway down the glacier, but they were low enough to the factory to safely jump to one of the roofs.

Standing on the ledge of the cliff, looking down onto one of the black, icy roofs of the dust containers and smokestacks, Emerald was starting to question her decision to chase after Oscar. Doubt filled her mind as she collected herself on the ledge, pulling Mercury up from the side, clumsily stumbling into his chest. Her mind was racing, thinking back to Cinder. She was a safe bet, no matter the outcome Emerald would be contempt with working for or against Salem by Cinder's side. Chasing after the kid lacked security, yet it filled her with a kind of hope. The hope that she could change, press on, and do better. Make amends and free her consciousness from the hell that it was trapped in because of her mistakes and action. 

Mercury passed her the other half of Thief's Respite, pressing it firmly into her free hand, his fingers grazing her palm, reminding her of how cold her hands actually were. It filled her with a similar sensation that she had felt when they held hands. She swallowed, quickly putting her weapon back into her holster, briefly meeting his eyes before pushing off the small ledge they were standing on, springing forward and landing on the roof with a small somersault. 

There the sound of a thud next to her followed by the scuffing of shoes. She pushed herself off the ground, running her hands over her pants before bringing them to her face and breathing against them harshly. Mercury searched the grounds in front of them, seeing Oscar on one of the lower levels of the facility, fending off winged Beringel. He pointed in Oscar's direction, causing Emerald's head to turn.

"What's the plan of action?" Mercury questioned, moving into a comfortable position by her side, not too close but not too far, leaving a foot or two of space between them.

Emerald nodded towards the fight In front of them, observing the way that Oscar batted at the Beringel with his staff, prodding at their chests and aimed for their faces, sticking the butt of his staff in their eyes. They were close enough to watch Oscar perform a small flip, shoving his staff into a Grimm's back, turning it to black dust that was swiftly carried by the harsh winds, dispersing almost instantly. 

"Maybe we should help him…" Emerald mumbled under her breath, hesitant to suggest it, watching intently as the remaining two Bengriels swarmed him, hovering above him slightly, swiping at him, barely missing Oscar's head. 

Emerald didn't know if this was the right choice, hanging onto the slight hope that Cinder would forgive her enough, that Mercury would just join her side and follow her down whichever past she chose, that they could all work together. The optimism that Cinder actually cared about her, it clung to her lungs with each new breath, therefore dragging her down with the weight of internal conflict. 

"Fuck it. Besides, he's probably low on aura, ya know, considering he fell from the sky," Mercury shrugged, giving a small glance in her direction, "It's your call Em."

She hesitated again for a moment, anxiety rising in her chest. She cleared her throat, "Thanks… let's move, then." 

They lept of the roof, landing on top of a large loading platform. Mercury flanked left while Emerald moved to the right, sliding down a stair railing, pulling out Thief's Respite. Mercury flipped off the raised section, pressing off with a loud blast from the dust bullets that were loaded into his boots, propelling him forward. 

Emerald flipped her weapons into their sword mode, pulling the trigger, propelling her blades forward, wrapping around the wings of one of the Bengriel, the blades hooked underneath its wings, digging into its skin. She dug her heels into the concrete, yanking in her direction, pulling the Grimm towards her. The blades cut into the Bengriel's back, tearing at the wings as she pulled. The distance between them closed. Emerald jumped on the Bengirel's back, her feet digging into the spot between its wings, and pushed off, flipping over its head. She retracted the rope connected to her blades, returning it to its blade mode before quickly shifting her weight on the icy factory exterior. The retraction of the blades tore the wings off completely, turning to black dust as the gorilla Grimm screeched. 

Mercury launched himself in the air, bringing his foot down on the shoulder of the Grimm in front of him. In an instance after connecting the hit, he launched himself in Oscar's direction, anticipating that he would raise his staff to block. Oscar created a shimmering green bubble that enveloped his entire being, crossing his arms in front of himself in defense as he did so. Mercury's boots connected to the shining surface, dust launching from his heels, causing him to launch back in the Bengriels direction. He swiped his left leg into the Grimm's side, slicing along its rib cage, spinning and landing harshly on the floor. The Grimm clawed at him, roaring in his face as Mercury met the swipes with his own kicks. 

Oscar rushed in, screaming, staff in hand, jumping through the air, and jabbing the Bengriel in the face repeatedly, smacking it across the cheek with an additional swipe. Mercury turned his attention to the Grimm's back, once again using Oscar as a stepping stone. Grabbing a hold of its wings with both hands, Mercury dug his steel-toed boots into its back, pushing deep into its skin while attempting to tear the wings off. He let out a little cry as the sound of ripping flesh filled his ears, exerting his strength as the Grimm desperately thrashed and clawed at its back. 

The wings disconnected, causing Mercury to launch himself face-first into the concrete as they evaporated in his hands, the force that he had applied to the Grimm's sending him flying. He landed with a grunt, rolling across the icy asphalt.

Meanwhile Emerald was dancing around the other Bengriel, shooting at it calmly, dodging its swings. She landed a shot in its eye, causing it to cry in outrage. She smirked, changing the form of her weapons back to blades, taking the opportunity to dig into the Grimm's ribcage, propelling herself underneath, sliding to the other side of its body, cutting through its chest. It gave out one final cry before it turned to ash and dispersed with the wind. 

Oscar was panting, stumbling out of the way of Grimm attacks, barely dodging as it desperately tried to claw at his hips and ribs. He batted at it weakly, slipping on the ice, the Bengriel taking the opportunity to dig its nails into Oscar's side, clawing diagonally down his body before sending him flying. A blood-wrenching scream formed in his throat, tears brimming in his eyes and he collided with a pile of snow as he was going by the attack, wincing as the cold enveloped his body. He grabbed desperately at his abdomen, panting and wincing in agony as he added pressure to his side, trying to crawl or move out of the pit of snow. 

Breaching the pocket of snow that had buried him, he took a large, deep breath, wincing at the pain once more. Oscar watched as Emerald and Mercury sliced through the final Bengriel, immediately turning their attention towards him. 

Emerald rushed forward, sliding on her knees by Oscar's side. She hooked her elbow's underneath his armpits, pulling him further out of the snow into the open air. She cursed, immediately pressing her hand against his wound. Oscar noticed how cold her hands were at the contact, shivers racing up his side from the source of contact. 

"What… What do you want?" Oscar's voice cracked, intersected by labored breaths, lingering with exhaustion. He shut his eyes tightly, placing a bloodied, heavy hand over Emerald's own. Upon closer inspection, Emerald felt less antsy about the decision she had made, realizing just how bad of shape he was in. Oscar was covered in soot and his clothes were covered in burns. The middle of his chest was charred like he was shot point-blank. Not to mention the fact that he had just fallen from Atlas, he was in bad shape. The addition of the Bengriel scratch didn't help his cause, the claw mark tearing through his jacket and shirt, exposing the wound to the harsh Atlas winter. Blood soaked into the cloth that clung to his skin, making it look gruesome. 

Emerald ignored the question, "Mercury, you got rubbing alcohol, right?" He hummed in response, kneeling down and digging through one of the pouches on his belt, passing her a vial. She mumbled a thank you, removing both her hands to pull out some medical tape and cloth from her pocket. Emerald tossed the tape to Mercury, who started making strips before she took some of the cloth and soaked it with the rubbing alcohol. She held him down with her left hand and her right knee, trying to stabilize him before saving at his wound to clean it. 

Oscar tensed, wincing harshly. He took in short breaths as the alcohol stung against the open wound, his face scrunched as he closed his eyes. The stinging lasted a few moments, allowing Oscar to lose the tension building in his shoulders. 

_ Oscar, we need to move. _

He whined in irritation, opening his eyes and propping himself up on his elbows as Emerald finished bandaging his scratch mark. Oscar looked to Mercury first, feeling a rush of memories that had been lost since the fall of Haven, remembering the Vytal Festival all at once. He remembered Mercury's cockiness, the complaints that he had received from Glynda of his lack of manners, and brash nature. Oscar felt the dread of watching Yang bash Mercury's leg in, remembering the catalyst of events that all lead up to Ozpin's demise. He remembered vague flashes of him during their battle at Haven, noting his change in demeanor, moving away from playfulness, fighting with a serious tone. 

Oscar swallowed, the memories subsiding, watching Mercury rise from his position on the ground, surveying the area. He seemed relatively calm and overall apathetic to Oscar's heath.

He looked over to Emerald as she wiped the back of her hand on her forehead, smearing blood just about her eyebrows. She sighed, putting away the bloodied medical supplies. There was a new wave of memories, flashes back to the aftermath of Mercury's fight with Yang, the blur of Emerald rushing on stage, and quickly leaving it altogether. Emerald was relatively reserved, keeping a professional distance around her from what Ozpin's memory could remember. She kept herself restrained, hidden. Then there was Haven, and he remembered the fear that she had sent coursing throughout the room with her vision of Salem. 

Emerald was powerful, Oscar decided to keep a note of that. 

He took a shaky breath, running a blood-soaked hand through his hair. 

"What are you doing? Why are you helping me?" Oscar pleaded, wincing loudly as he tried to sit up fully. His face scrunched, pain pulsing through his abdomen, causing him to collapse back down to the concrete. 

"I'm sure you can connect the dots kid," Mercury mumbled, nodding towards Emerald as she looked in his direction, "What's the plan, Em?" 

Emerald squinted over the horizon, turning back to the mining facility, inspecting it. There were a few doorways to get inside the factory, a few of them being hanger doors that were left open. 

"We want to help you. Can you stand?" Emerald spoke gently, pushing herself off the ground. She put out her hand, bending over slightly, offering him to take it silently. Oscar hesitated, his mind reeling. He met her crimson eyes, watching her awkward smile.

_ Don't trust them, Oscar. This could be a trap.  _

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Oscar muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as he gripped Emerald's right hand with his left. He grunted as he was pulled from the ground, stumbling into Emerald's body, leaning all of his weight onto her. He felt her cold hands move his arm over her shoulder, chills pulsing through his body as she clasped her hand tightly on his right wrist, her other arm gently wrapping itself around his waist, her freezing fingers lightly pressed against his patched wound. Emerald hugged him against her side. 

"Can you contact your team?" Mercury questioned eagerly, moving to his left as Emerald started walking towards the factory entrance. 

_ Don't give them anything. It's critical not to give away their position. _

Oscar whined, rolling his eyes, "I know! God, I miss when you were quiet."

Emerald and Mercury gave him a strange look, which Oscar promptly ignored. 

_ You're just cranky from all the blood loss. _

"'You're just cranky from all the blood loss!' Yes! I'm fourteen and I was  _ shot _ , I  _ fell _ from the  _ sky _ , I'm bleeding, and I'm  _ tired _ . So  _ maybe _ I am a bit cranky and having an old man talking in my head isn't all that helpful." 

_ Touché. _

"You haven't merged fully..." Emerald observed before shrugging it off, "Salem thought Oz would have had full control by now…"

"Kid's persistent, I'll give him that," Mercury commented, offering Oscar a sly smirk, "What's your name anyway?"

"Oscar."

"Well, Oscar, think you can get into contact with your team?"

"Uhh-" 

Before Oscar had the chance to answer, his scroll started vibrating, a muffled voice peaking through, filled with desperation. 

" _ Oscar! Oscar, can you hear me? It's Nora! Oscar, please- _ " 

There was a muffled scratching noise on the other end. Oscar dug through his pocket desperately, retrieving his scroll, fumbling it slightly in his hand. There was only radio silence, causing his heart to drop. 

"Nora! Nora, it's Oscar, I'm fine! Nora!"

Again, Oscar was met only with radio silence. Anxiety rose in his chest, eagerly waiting for a response, clutching his scroll tightly, staring intently at his team's aura levels. 

The group was quiet as they slowly moved indoors. Emerald pulled Oscar up a set of stairs, shifting her position, locking her elbows underneath his shoulders, Mercury lifting him up and carrying him by his ankles. Oscar stayed stiffed, his eyes lingering on the scroll, watching as bits of aura drained from each member. 

The wind picked up heavily, snow falling harshly from the sky, swirling and twisting in the wind. Emerald and Mercury picked up the pace, reaching the top of the stairs.

_ They're going to be fine. You shouldn't worry about things that are out of your control. We need to focus on the situation at hand. _

"I shouldn't have left them… I shouldn't have gone after Ironwood," Oscar muttered softly, pressing his hands flat against his stomach. He tilted his head up, staring directly into Emerald's eyes, "You want to leave Salem, right?"

Emerald nodded, readjusting Oscar in her arm, pulling him up higher from the ground. 

"I can't trust you, you know that? Even if my team finds me, they won't hesitate to fight you."

Emerald swallowed, breaking eye contact, looking back to Mercury. They shared an intense, shirt glance, one that tied Emerald's stomach in knots.

"We'll tell you everything, but you need rest," She spoke quietly, backing up through one of the hanger doors, gently laying Oscar on the ground. The flooring of the factory was warmer than the ground outside, the factory's heater running on a backup generator because of Mantel's heating system being deactivated. 

The large metal door closed tightly, making a small mechanical hum as it shut. 

Exhaustion settled in the low light of the factory floor, the soft whir of machinery sending Oscar into a lull. He took in a few deep breaths, desperately trying to keep his eyes open. They worked against him, sleep calling to him like a siren, causing his eyelids to droop and his eyes to close gently, drifting off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Oscar a lot as a character and I love that he can be a bit bratty and has a dry sense of humor even though he's really. I think his character dynamic works really well with Em & Merc, which is surprising but a bit of fun too. I'm really excited for the volume 7 soundtrack to come out soon (I am speaking it into existence) AND that we're getting volume 8 news on Saturday, not to mention Before the Dawn coming out this week. It'll be nice to see what they're all up too. I won't say that I'm gonna try and update this once a week but that's the goal, and I hope I can stick to it well enough. I'm really happy with how the fight scenes turned out (bc I'm rusty and I think the action sequences were executed well). I hope y'all liked this chapter uwu. Bees next chapter ft JNR and a bit of Nut & Dolts, more Em & Merc alone time after that!!!!


	3. Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches between Blake & Yang's pov; next chapter will be em & merc sentimental hours.

Yang’s heart stopped as she looked out the cockpit window. She felt her stomach twist in knots, watching as a giant whale appeared in front of them, surrounded by swarms of flying Grimm. There was a beat of anxiety that clung in the air, hanging heavily over the group, freezing everyone in place. There were a few words of panic thrown out which Yang promptly drowned out, overwhelmed by the sound of her heartbeat.

“Jaune! Ren!” Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, using Petal Burst to run to the front cabin, flipping a switch to open the left hanger door. She brought out Crescent Rose, unraveling it from its compact mode, holding onto it tight. Jaune and Ren made quick work, Jaune clutching Ren’s shoulder tightly as their combined semblances enveloped the entire cabin with black and white. 

“Everyone out! We have the comms online, we'll use that to our advantage, but the fewer the people, the more aura Jaune and Ren preserve! Yang, stay with them! We can meet up later!” Ruby spoke intensely, clearly shaken by the wave of Grimm. Weiss agreed silently, jumping out of the plane without hesitation, the black and white discoloration fading as she summoned her Queen Lancer and raced towards Mantel. Ruby watched intently, silent for a moment as Penny put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, offering her a small, gentle smile. 

“I’ll defend her on the way down and attack the smaller Grimm directly,” She flew out, following Weiss as she made her descent, giving her cover by blasting her lasers at the flying Bengriel as they tried to swarm and attack her, soaring through the air. 

Blake and Nora hung there for a few moments, looking at one another. Nora's eyes flashed between Jaune and Ren, lingering on Ren hesitantly, expectantly, bringing out Magnhild from its compact state. She opened her mouth to speak, before closing it tightly, biting her tongue. She approached the hanger door silently, the wind whipping through her hair. 

"Be careful out there," Nora shrugged, laughing awkwardly. She gave Yang a small, nervous smile, fear lingering in her eyes. Yang returned it with a nod, watching as her teal eyes darted to Ren and Jaune one last time.

She pushed her feet off the edge, propelling herself downward and she brought her hammer over her head, the grayscale evaporating from her body in a flash. 

Blake was still there, lingering, only inches away from Yang's reach. Their hands brushed causing a burning sensation to rise in Yang's chest. She swallowed, watching Blake approach Ruby with hesitation, but ultimately resigned. 

“Look for Qrow and Oscar, but we need to get the Relic of Knowledge because I-” Ruby bit her tongue looking at the ground bitterly. Yang rushed over, hugging her tightly. Ruby gently wrapped her arms around Yang, her fingers pulling tightly on her jacket, “I don’t know what to do…”

“We’ll figure it out, but for now, just be safe Rubes,” Yang whispered in her hair, planting a kiss on her forehead before pulling out of the embrace fully, Ruby smiled, offering a small, tight-lipped smile. 

Blake caught her eye and her heart sank, her mind reeling, every word that she could have possibly said erasing itself from her mind. Yang froze, mouth open slightly, blinking gently. Blake just gave her a slight nod, pink rising in her cheeks, a small, fond smile playing on her lips. 

"Good luck out there," Blake practically mumbled, her eyebrows raised, obviously waiting for a reply. Blake hesitated once more, her hand extending out farther before ultimately slipping her hand into Yang's, giving her hand a tight squeeze, causing her heart to seize in her throat, watching her walk closer to the hanger's edge. Her hand hung in the air naturally, following her, drawn to Blake as she left her touch. 

"Yeah… good luck," Yang replied sweetly, crossing her arms while taking a deep breath. There was a small beat of silence, her mind tracing back through the past few weeks, landing on the spot that they had been in before, just before they fought Adam, right before everything seemed to go downhill. She felt nerves rise in her chest at the fondness of the bike ride through the outskirts of Argus, "Go."

She laughed a little, rolling her eyes. Blake melted slightly, tension dropping from her shoulders as she turned out into the open air and jumped. 

Ruby watched as she fell, turning back to Yang for a moment, "We need a way back into Atlas. This ship has probably been deemed as hostile, so it's best just to ditch it and head to Pietro's pharmacy. If you run into any problems, just call."

Yang nodded, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Gotcha sis, it'll be a breeze."

Ruby offered a quick thumbs-up, her silver eyes lingering with a sense of worry, compensating her concern with an overwhelming sense of confidence and overall cheery nature. In an instant, she gave one last wavering smile before turning into rose petals in an instance and quickly turning red as she exited the plane.

The only thing they could see as Maria quickly turned the plane around was Penny zipping through the sky in streaks of neon green. She moved alongside the jet for a few moments as she dipped in and out of view, trying to protect the ship as best as she could. Yang leaned against Ren to try and keep him stable as they flipped and turned harshly, avoiding military ships and Grimm of the like. 

Even with Jaune’s help, it was a grudging process to envelop the ship in Ren’s aura for as long as they were in the sky, avoiding Atlas jets and Grimm proving quite difficult. 

Yang sighed, regret building in her chest, her mind retracing back to Blake, the lingering sensation of her hand in hers building dread inside her. There was so much she had wished she'd said at that moment, or maybe an action that she could have taken. Yang should have given her hand more than a squeeze, given Blake more than a hug. Something that would make her heart race and her mind go numb, something passionate but sweet that could get everything across, every unspoken word and the words that lingered between each letter and line. 

Desperate to distract herself from the festering feeling of eternal dread and something that stung and burned in her chest, Yang tried to focus on the plan ahead of them.

"So… we find the lamp, look for Qrow and Oscar, and move from there?"

Jaune nodded, "That's the basics. But, Qrow could be anywhere in Mantel or Atlas, and we have no idea where Oscar went." 

Ren mumbled softly, leaning further against Yang's side as the jet turned to the right, "We know who has the lamp, but we have no indication of their location. That and the added effect of us being hunted, along with the Grimm and Tyrian being nowhere in sight, makes us targets on all sides."

"I think we're also forgetting that Hazel, Emerald, and Mercury are still a huge pain in our ass…" Yang added gravely, running her metal hand through her hair, stumbling as the plane rolled through the air. 

There was a beat of silence before Jaune spoke, "Our first goal should be getting a pin on Oscar. He should still be in Atlas, so there's a possibility that he can help us get back up there."

"We need to get to Atlas as soon as possible," Yang mumbled, mostly to herself, rhetorically repeating the information placed in front of her, almost to convince herself of that fact. 

Ren spoke quietly, his eyes shut tightly, "We have the advantage that Ironwood needs the Winter Maiden to access the relic and that Salem has no idea how to activate the relics."

Yang sighed, "Those are assumptions, the likelihood that Ironwood has physical access to the Relic of Creation is pretty high. Along with that, you don't need to interact with something to understand or know how it works."

Jaune tapped Ren's shoulder slightly as they lowered closer to Mantel, signaling him to stop using his semblance, ultimately removing the Grimm cloaking to rejoin the line up of military-grade machinery. Ren sighed, losing tension in his back, his hands uncoiling from fists that were stuck plainly at his side. The world was vibrant again, full of color and life despite the cockpit being a cool gray. He pushed off of Yang gently, taking one of the newly free seats, Jaune joining his side. 

Jaune was silent for a moment, contemplating intensely before mumbling, "God, what's our team name gonna be?"

Yang snorted, " _That's_ what you're thinking about right now?"

"Well yeah!" He replied defensively, "It's better to think about that right now than all the other shit…"

It was silent again, the air becoming dry and solemn. Yang swallowed, her mind retracing back to Ruby, to Weiss, to _Blake._ She knew Ren was thinking about Nora, too, by the way he practically collapsed against his own hands, propping up his head as he buried it into his palms. Yang sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing down his back in an attempt to console him. 

Yang cleared her throat, desperate to lighten the mood, to once again stop her mind from racing about her friends, her sister, from _Blake._ She wanted to keep moving, to not linger on the thought as to why Blake was in a category of her own, why she was different, and made her heart swell and her mind to race, "So, what's the course of action? We can't just walk around the streets of Mantel, can we?"

Ren pulled his head out of his hands, leaning against the wall, meeting Yang's eyes "I doubt that there is any militia with feet physically on the ground, except for maybe around 'areas of importance', like dust mines. Maybe a few Atlas sentries on patrol. Considering Ironwood will be banking on Pietro to counter Watts, I'm sure we should expect soldiers, or at the very least civilians hoping to get rescued who might use us as their way out. " Jaune hummed, thinking for a brief moment, a green light moving through the cockpit window behind him. 

"Hey kids, we're landing, hold on tight!" Maria called out and the jet tipped its trajectory, the sudden shift in angle causing Yang to stumble slightly, Ren quickly grabbing her wrist as it slipped off his shoulder, stabilizing her briefly. 

"We start with escorting and move from there? Uh… and just kinda… wing it?" Jaune suggested with an awkward laugh. He cleared his throat, shutting his eyes tight, "I mean, there's not much else we can do until we get to Atlas besides helping people."

"What happens if we get caught?" Yang asked quietly, swallowing harshly, thinking back to Ironwood's steely expression, his stoic and chilling nature as he looked her in the eyes, speaking about how he would let the people of Mantel die without a second thought, without an ounce of hesitation, as if it was the only thing he could do as if it was the right choice.

"We either plead with Ironwood and lie through our teeth or just….. Sit in jail until you get broken out or break yourself out," The plane tilted again, descending harshly into an alleyway a few blocks north of the pharmacy. Jaune looked to Yang, speaking as the wheels beneath the jet touched the ground, the wings scraping slightly against the brick of the building, "We'll be fine, I promise. We can't let Beacon happen again." 

Ren took out his scroll as it lit up, Weiss' voice coming through the other end, “Have you touched down yet, over?”

“Just landed, Getting off now, escorting Maria and Pietro to the pharmacy now.”

The hanger doors opened, and Yang jumped out quickly, clutching her fist as she was fully enveloped by the unheated Mantel air. Chills ran down her spine as she slid on the ground, scoping out ahead.

"Nora tried to get into contact with Oscar, and there was a bit of feedback," Blake chimed in over the call, immediately capturing Yang's attention, her brain clinging to her voice as it came out muddled through Ren's scroll, "but we didn't catch anything, and were still- were still preoccupied."

There was the sound of gunfire, metal scraping against concrete. Small shouts came through with static.

Jaune chimed in "He might be too far out of range. We'll try and give him a call once we get everyone to a secure location."

"Roger that," Ruby spoke coolly, the sound of a rifle cocking ringing clearly through the other end of Ren's scroll, "We'll focus on transport. Pietro can help locate Oscar and Qrow, maybe even Cinder or Neo"

"Sounds like a plan," Jaune replied, unsheathing his blade and unveiling his shield. 

"Over and out!" Ruby yelled over the other end, cutting off the comm immediately. Ren slipped his scroll back into his pocket, taking out his weapon, moving out of the way as Pietro and Maria exited the ship. 

“The coast is clear,” Yang caught Jaune’s eye, gesturing towards the open street with a small nod. 

"Alright team, let’s rollout."

* * *

Fires raged through the streets of Mantel, glass and debris from buildings littering the concrete. Blake swung through a small alleyway, bouncing off the brick on its right side, landing beside a dumpster. Screams echoed in the background, broken and distant, the cries haunting her as she gripped Gambol Shroud tightly. She blew a stray hair out of her face, exhaling deeply. 

Her scroll sounded and she picked it up immediately, "Blake, what's your position?" It was Ruby. Her voice was surprisingly calm, though there was an edge to it like she was holding back a bit of frustration as she spoke.

"I'm in some alley," Blake replied quickly, stepping out into the street, head swiveling as she checked her position. She walked briskly, picking up the pace with each new step, looking around at the ruined building's trying to offer a point of reference. There were a few dust shops, some apartments. A small convenience store with a restaurant across the street sat on the corner, the windows completely bashed in. She looked to the right, her eyes catching on the broken neon lights of a short, wide building. It glowed orange and blue, the sign flickering and the void of social life caused its glow to turn eerie. 

It was the nightclub that team FNKI had taken her to with Yang. Completely abandoned, lifeless, now dull, lacking the energy that it had once possessed. There was no drunken cheers or music that blasted so loud you could barely think. It was empty, and it made Blake's skin crawl as she stared at its shell, reminiscing about the small booths in the corner and the cheap bar, the dance that she had with Yang. The freedom that Blake had finally felt at that moment, finally liberated from Adam's crushing weight. Her heart ached, remembering the way that Yang had looked at her, with that fond, bright smile. 

There was so much more to say, but there was a lingering fear. A fear that speaking a few simple words would simply be a death sentence and ruin everything they had worked for. The fear that Blake would jinx herself and ruin another relationship, or that Yang wouldn't want her, or at least, not in the same way Blake wanted Yang. 

Blake cleared her throat, avoiding her eyes from the club, ignoring the shivers that sent down her spine causing her ears to flatten against her head as memories followed swiftly by feelings and regrets flooded her senses, "I'm near the nightclub, it's only a few blocks from that one bookstore that you like."

"Oh! The one with the little café that had really good brownies? I know where you are, headed your way right now," Ruby chimed in, her voice coming across with excitement, causing Blake to laugh a little, her ears perking up. She took in a deep, short breath, exhaling as she continued moving down the street, turning her head towards the sky, watching for Bengriel's as they passed. They gave her no attention, diving in more populated areas of Mantel as the swarm got closer. 

Footsteps echoed through the empty street, seemingly set in groups, the sound causing Blake’s ears to swivel in the direction of the sound. Blake ducked in one of the abandoned buildings, pressing her back against the door, switching Gambol Shroud into its gun form. A few minutes passed, the footsteps approaching closer until they felt like they were right against her back, on the other side of the door. She peaked around the broken window, watching as Atlas sentries roamed the road, shooting at Grimm as they flew. 

There was a flash of red as the military bots were knocked into one another, petals scattering in the wind as Ruby reformed, slicing diagonally with Crescent Rose, cutting them in half. Blake took the opportunity to join her teammate in combat, throwing out Gambol Shroud and swinging into the fight with her tether as Ruby grabbed a hold on its free end, swinging her around the back of the vehicle, landing on its roof. 

Blake took potshots at the bots below as they focused their fire on Ruby, landing a few shots in one of their shoulders as Ruby sliced the other one in half. Blake shot into the back of the last soldier several times, causing its system to fry and its body to collapse. Two more bots came swarming out of the front seat, which Blake shot point-blank in the neck, causing their heads to pop out of their sockets, their wires exposed as they collapsed to the ground.

Sliding off the roof of the van, Blake opened the passenger side door, slipping in quickly. She sighed, reaching for a seatbelt, only to realize that the bot operated vehicles didn't come equipped with one. Anxiety rushed inside her at the realization, causing Blake to look up nervously to Ruby as she stared awkwardly in front of her. 

"Uh, how about you drive?" Ruby suggested, shrugging, offering a small laugh. Blake swallowed, her hand placed on the dashboard in front of her. 

"I don't know how to drive. I grew up on Menagerie," Blake watched as Ruby nodded solemnly, her eyes moving to the foot pedals beneath her. 

Her silver eyes flickered to meet Blake's, speaking nervously, "Which pedal is the gas and which is the break?"

Blake felt her mind go numb, completely dumbfounded. Ruby didn't know how to drive. They didn't have seatbelts. Blake didn't know anything about driving or cars.

Stunned, every emotion drained from Blake's face, causing her to simply turn and stare out the window in front of her, "We're going to die here."

"Hey, I drove Bumblebee once! To be fair, I only started the engine before Yang almost kicked my ass, but I think that counts."

"It definitely doesn't."

"It's better than nothin’, right?" Ruby chuckled, taking in a deep breath. She turned her eyes to the road, desperately trying to start the engine, pressing on the right pedal. When it didn't start, she pressed her foot on the left tightly as she turned the key, the engine revving. Ruby let out a little cheer of success, putting her hand out for a high five. Blake rolled her eyes, slapping Ruby's hand harshly.

"Alright, I’ll get into contact with Weiss and Nora,” Blake leaded back in her seat, gripping tightly onto a handlebar just above her seat, pulling her scroll out of her side pocket just as Ruby took her foot fully off the break, causing them to jerk forward harshly. Blake’s ears shot up as she almost slammed into the dashboard, the hair behind her ears standing up straight. Ruby let out a little yelp, quickly slamming the breaks.

“Okay… If they’re split up, we go to Weiss first because she knows how to drive, sound like a deal?” Ruby offered a strained laugh, taking in a deep breath once again before easing off the break this time, allowing the military vehicle to slowly roll forward as it trampled over the destroyed bots, crushing them underneath its heavy-duty tires. 

“Sounds good to me,” Blake laughed a little, relieving a bit of tension. Ruby bit her lip, looking down at her feet for a brief moment to switch to the gas pedal, pushing down on it harshly, causing them to jerk as she started speeding down the street. 

There was a beat of silence before Blake turned on her scroll and started scrolling through her contacts, creating a private comms consisting of their current group, “Weiss, Nora, do you read me?”

Weiss’s voice rang through first, “Loud and clear, Nora’s with me, but she’s a bit busy at the moment. We’ve got some Grimm problems, but we should be able to handle it.” There was the sound of a crash in the background, followed by a few screams, “Nora’s going to try and get into contact with Oscar once we secure our position. She tried early but- it didn’t work out very well, but there was feedback on the other side, which means he’s alive.”

Blake smiled, more tension relieving itself from her body, comforted by the concept of Oscar’s safety, that at the very least he was okay, “That’s good news, at least. We’ll reconvene at your position.”

“We’re at 3rd and Olympic,” Weiss spoke immediately, the sound of a roaring fire enveloping the scroll for a few moments. 

Ruby cleared her throat, leaning forward in her seat to try and look at a street sign in front of her. “Uh… can we get a landmark, maybe?”

“The street with the arcade that’s across from the ice cream shop, it’s right outside one of the evacuation centers,” Nora chimed in, speaking through Weiss’ scroll rather than her own. Blake braced herself as Ruby turned abruptly, keeping her foot on the gas pedal as she spun the wheel to the right, narrowly dodging a light pole before swerving back into the main road. Blake shut her eyes tight, holding her breath, her ears pressed aggressively against her skull as she was thrown about. Ruby swore, wincing as she rapidly yanked the wheel in the opposite direction, trying to get centered back on the road, moving her foot over to the break, slamming it. 

“Um, headed your way. Maybe you should move out of the street… See ya soon!” Ruby spoke loudly, running a hand through her hair. Blake let out a deep breath, clutching her chest and leaning her head back against the headrest, before turning off her scroll and slipping it back into her pocket. She looked over to Ruby, who was shaken, “So… We ease into gas and off the break, and slow for turning corners. Got it.”

“I would offer to switch, but I’m sure I would be way worse than you,” Blake smiled a little, her ears swiveling upwards, twitching a little as she calmed down. Ruby laughed, easing off the brake and gently pressing on the gas to move forward down the street she had turned down. 

Blake gave her silence as she got accommodated to driving, simply staring out the window into the broken, burning streets of Mantel. It made her heart sink, the smell of fire becoming more apparent, the orange glow of the city, and the screams that haunted the background brought her back to the night that Beacon fell. She thought back to that feeling of seeing Adam in that crumbling building, the way his voice crept down her spine. It was happening all over again, but this time Adam was gone. He was dead, his body floating down some river in Argus for a random couple or a small child to stumble across. Her ears lowered again as she shrinks away from the window, cradling herself in her arms as guilt, fear, and trauma ate away at her chest, burning a hole in her throat that made it harder to breathe.

Yang wasn’t with her, where they could protect each other. Blake wanted to be with her, but she focused on the image of Jaune and Ren, trying to stop her mind from spiraling. She wasn’t alone this time, and that was all that mattered. They had each other’s back, they would keep one another safe. She had to account for them and their abilities, that there was strength in numbers. 

“We haven’t had alone time in a while, huh?” Ruby mentioned quietly, her eyes flickering from Blake to the road. Blake pulled her knee to her chest, resting her head on top of it as she looked over to Ruby, “Not since the Vytal Festival.”

She hummed as a short reply, her mind still lingering on the memories at Beacon. She frowned a little, adjusting her position so her back was pressed up against the corner of the van door, her hand still tightly gripping the handle. 

“Oh, I read a book that I think you’ll like recently! It wasn’t action-heavy or nothin’, but it was all dark and dramatic. I can’t remember the name though… but it was like, completely fantasy and stuff. Maybe when we reach Vacuo we can go to a library or a bookstore together,” Ruby rambled on, chewing her lip as she slowed to take a turn, coming to a complete halt in the middle of the road. She sighed, turning the wheel aggressively as she let off the break. 

A fond smile played on Blake’s lips, her ears perking up a little, “I haven’t read anything in a while… that would be nice, huh?”

Ruby let out a small giggle, leaning back into her chair, tension rolling off her back, “You have been a bit distracted recently… you and Yang have been through a lot, huh?”

Heat rose to Blake’s cheeks, burying her face deeper into her knee, trying to hide her face from Ruby as her heart raced. Blake swallowed, “Yeah… we have… I- I really like her and the thought of Beacon happening all over again just-”

“I know… I know the feelin’. I’m sorry that I had you guys split but I thought it would be for the best. Like, if they run into Cinder, and Jaune can amplify Yang’s aura… she’d be on par with a maiden, I think. My silver eyes can only do so much, they only scare her off but were beyond that point,” Ruby her lip, tears forming in her eyes as she began pressing down harder on the gas, the engine roaring in Blake’s ears as they raced over broken glass and dodged fires that consumed collapsing buildings, “I can’t stop thinkin’ of Beacon either, about Yang and how we don’t know what's happened to Oscar or Qrow, and Penny- I’ve already lost her, and I almost lost Yang, too….”

Her voice broke along with the composure that she had mustered to pull together, leaving her trembling, “I can’t stop thinkin’ about how- how I- I have no power to stop what happens to them, and everything that Salem said about my mom- It’s eating away at me! I’m terrified, Blake, and I don’t know what to do and everything’s just-!”

“I believe in you, Ruby. I always have, you don’t have to pretend to be okay anymore.”

“Yes, I do!” Her voice quivered with frustration, dripping with fear. She slammed her foot against the break as tears streamed down her face, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Ruby turned to Blake, silver eyes meeting gold, and Blake watched as they flashed white, Ruby’s face twisted in pain as they flew forward in their seats, “I can’t let anyone down, I have to protect them.”

“You’re just hurting yourself, please… you don’t have to be brave for everyone else because you’re one of the most compassionate people I know… I used to think of you as purity, as innocence, but you’re so much more than that now,” Blake swallowed harshly, pulling Ruby into a deep hug, squeezing her eyes tightly as they embraced. She wrapped her fist in Ruby’s cloak, feeling as her nails dug tightly into her back. Blake felt tears trickle down her neck as Ruby struggled to take in a deep breath, her body convulsing.

“No- no, I’m not brave… no one’s braver than you, Blake, because you- you came back, and that’s the hardest thing a person can do,” Ruby pulled away, wiping at her tears the bottom of her palm, smiling a little, “And you always fight, no matter what, you always move forward.”

Blake nodded, biting her tongue in rebuttal, stopping herself from speaking her true view of herself. There wasn’t time to wallow in her cowardice, how she always ran until her lungs stopped, how she couldn’t look Yang in the eyes for days after Haven. She watched silently as they drove the rest of the way to the location, watching as Ruby’s bloodshot eyes slowly turned white around the edges, desperately trying to drown out the screams that became louder and more apparent as they encroached on Nora & Weiss’ position. Blake thought of Yang, how the glow of the fire would make her hair turn golden, how it would paint her face with its burning passion and make her eyes look like the setting sky when it was muddled with the orange of the sun and the bright blue of the sky, melting into shades of pink and yellow, with the faintest bit of lilac around its edges. She felt her heart squeeze, her throat closing tightly.

_Yang…_

There was the sound of a scream, followed by a thud. Blake snapped back to reality, sitting up higher in her seat, taking out Gambol Shroud as a full blade. She looked out the front window, watching as glyphs appeared in front of them, suspending four Beringel’s midair. There was a small cheer as Nora jumped through the scene, swinging her hammer through two Grimm, throwing them through a wall in a circle. As she touched the ground, a bright yellow glyph appeared at her feet, sending static through her body, she let out another laugh, shifting on her feet as she leaped into the air once more, slamming her hammer straight down onto the Berginel closest to her, electrocuting it and bringing her hammer down straight through its body. Weiss sprinted, slicing at the last Beringel’s wings, cutting them off cleanly before twisting, and sending a wave of fire straight through its body. 

Ruby parked the van, excitedly hopping out the driver’s side door, rushing into combat. Blake followed quickly, looking up to the sky to see another group of Bergriel swarming as a black cloud. She looked back down to see Ruby talking intensely with Nora and Weiss, Weiss looking slightly annoyed as she approached. 

“So, I’m stuck being your chauffeur while you and Nora stick yourself to the roof of the van? And Blake will just hang out the passenger window and shoot at Grimm or Atlas militia as we pass?”

“Weiss, come on! You’re the only one who can drive!” 

“The fact that you didn’t crash truly is a miracle… Fine, but please warn me before you shove Crescent Rose into the top of the car so you can snipe. I would rather not get my head chopped off.”

Blake laughed, “I second that. We should get moving, though, there’s another round starting up soon.”

Ruby nodded, smirking a little before she took Nora by the hand and used Petal Burst to get the pair on top of the outside of the van. Weiss gave Blake a short look before beelining to the car, Blake following quickly after a Begrinel swooped from above, only inches away from Weiss. Nora shot her canon, obliterating the Grimm in a shower of pink and black.

Once inside the vehicle, Weiss let out a deep breath, starting the ignition and taking off without hesitation, going at a moderately fast pace, obviously conscious of the rattling of Nora’s and Ruby’s feet as they echoed through the metal of the van. Blake rolled down the window, switching Gambol Shroud into its gun mode, leaning out of the car and shooting at Beringel’s as they dived at the van. She hooked her right foot under the dashboard, her left foot pressed against the seat as she hung onto the roof of the van with her left hand, trying to stabilize as Weiss whipped around a corner. The wind was harsh, freezing, blowing her hair in her face as Weiss sped down the road, turning through the street, desperate to avoid Beringel’s as they dive-bombed. 

If it wasn’t for the circumstances, Blake would have thought that it was rather pleasant- the cold morning with the sky slowly turning golden as the sun came into full view, but the overwhelming feeling of fear hung low and stiff across the city, sending chills down her spine. She shot wherever she could, doing so subconsciously, her mind reeling at the destruction that they passed, overwhelming her senses. There was too much weight, too much that was required of them. At Beacon they made more people on their side, but now… they were alone, with no course of action other than getting to Atlas and helping as many people as they could along the way.

Dread built itself like bricks, sinking deeper and deeper in her chest, recounting the sleepless nights after Beacon fell, how it would happen all over again. The past continuously repeats itself, but she wouldn’t run, not anymore. She couldn’t leave again, not when running would cost so much. Blake would bear whatever was thrown at her because she knew she could handle it now. She felt free for a time, the fleeting moment of liberation now shriveled and dry, but she could feel it again if she fought for it, if she finally stood her ground. Blake wanted to feel that again, have that feeling trapped in her chest for the rest of her life.

She wanted everyone else to be able to feel it too, to be free of burden, to breathe with new lungs that weren’t turned black by hatred and guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so fucking long but it's so much fun writing the differences between Blake & Yang and their perception of each other. I started writing this right after I posted the previous chapter, but it just took so long to get everything right. Ruby was also really fun to write for this chapter! I hope that she interacts with Blake a lot more this volume. I compressed both Yang's & Blake's perspective into this chapter because it made more sense narratively, and since this is Emerald and Mercury centric, giving them more than one chapter at a time would take away from that point. The next bees chapter will most likely be from Blake's perspective solely, so it shouldn't be as long-winded.

**Author's Note:**

> Mercury and Emerald drive me crazy because they're all like "we are just coworkers we are NOT friends but also I want to make sure that you're okay and I trust you, BUT you're annoying as shit and I hate you but not really and I WILL flirt with you with no hesitation"...... like what the fuck is that bro......... I cannot TAKE it and I miss them so much I hope they're in vol 8.


End file.
